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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.

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: mouse · wax · date · bank · patient · degree · object · land

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — temperature
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — ground
  17. object — an aim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. object — to protest
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wax — in the ear

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