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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 120 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: bear · court · clip · patient · wound · dip · wax · drill

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of a king
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. clip — a video
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. clip — to cut
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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