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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: firm · fan · suit · face · stand · patient · wax · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to confront
  4. firm — a company
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — of water
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — decided
  12. suit — clothes
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — in cards
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — to fit

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