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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: patient · pop · rest · nail · wax · suit · ground · wound

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — a position
  21. rest — a break
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — in cards

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