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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: content · date · mark · craft · mouse · patient · object · wax

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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