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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · key · straw · bulb · spell · tube · patient · wax

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — letters
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — a short time

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