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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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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — to grow
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. trunk — of a car

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