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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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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: patient · bass · rush · wax · calf · stem · bear · perch

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — to come from
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

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