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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · current · deal · patient · arm · spring · wax · stick

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — happening now
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — the season
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spring — of water
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com