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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: temple · fan · spell · wax · tube · foot · mark · patient

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tube — a container
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. foot — a measure

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