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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 116 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: bat · degree · patient · plane · lash · bear · wax · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bat — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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