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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — for sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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