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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: cap · patient · wax · roll · bay · march · rash · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rash — a series
  13. cap — a hat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. roll — a cake
  21. march — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. roll — a list
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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