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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: bowl · firm · mine · patient · roll · rest · wax · lash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — a list
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. firm — decided
  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