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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: fine · ruler · wind · cold · wax · pitcher · foot · patient

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitcher — a jug

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