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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: patient · ball · wax · plane · mouse · bear · degree · row

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. row — a line

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