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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 116 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: mate · wax · rush · tear · patient · rash · coach · mark

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — a series
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mate — a partner

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