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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
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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: mine · cabinet · patient · dip · wax · game · kid · sharp

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kid — to tease
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kid — child
  24. mine — belonging to me

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