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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: patient · lash · dip · board · arm · wax · suit · cold

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cold — an illness
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cold — not warm
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. suit — to fit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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