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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: tear · patient · ground · suit · rush · arm · bear · wax

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — to rip

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