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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: drill · shower · patient · club · stick · wax · sharp · bulb

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. club — for golf
  18. sharp — clever
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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