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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 · face · season · court · wax · game · plane · bay

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. game — a match
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. court — for sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. court — of law
  21. face — to point toward
  22. game — wild animals
  23. court — of a king
  24. face — to confront

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