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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: date · wound · fork · plane · deal · wax · club · patient

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — a tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — for dancing
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fork — a garden tool

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