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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
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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: deal · stand · game · fan · mine · wax · cap · patient

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — of ice
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cap — a hat

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