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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · spring · wake · court · wax · row · patient · deal

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — of water
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — to grow

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