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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · patient · game · stand · mate · ball · squash · wax

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mate — to breed
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — a friend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mate — a partner

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