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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 · mine · kick · suit · racket · wax · field · mouse

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. suit — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. kick — in football
  24. racket — for tennis

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