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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 120 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: bear · mark · hand · chip · patient · scale · wax · rush

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — the animal

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