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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 116 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: mark · patient · staff · wax · bear · deal · season · snap

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a grade
  4. season — in sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — of the year

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