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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
468
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: wax · bulb · arm · perch · patient · spell · drill · band

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — to grow
  3. drill — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — letters
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — a short time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spell — magic

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