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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · patient · wax · mouse · calf · bound · cold · mark

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — the month
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — certain
  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