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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: snap · charge · bay · firm · wax · lash · patient · game

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — to grow
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — a match
  20. charge — a price
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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