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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: wake · season · patient · chip · wax · rash · date · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. firm — steady
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. season — of the year
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — a company
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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