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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: patient · wind · track · bay · suit · saw · wax · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a song
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — the tool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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