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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.

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: straw · mug · rush · bass · court · patient · wax · wound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bass — the fish
  3. court — of a king
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — to rob
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. court — of law
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. court — for sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — in the ear

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