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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · chest · patient · tube · rash · lash · pass · bass

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tube — a container
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chest — a box
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — the underground

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