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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.

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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: straw · rush · patient · arm · row · suit · bound · wax

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — to grow

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