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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.

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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: deal · lash · march · patient · mouse · last · race · wax

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — to grow
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. march — the month
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — the animal

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