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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: march · patient · roll · bank · mate · wax · race · firm

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. firm — a company
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — the arms race
  19. firm — steady
  20. race — a contest
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. roll — a list
  24. firm — decided

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