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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: spring · patient · cue · calf · wax · lean · nail · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — of water
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spring — the season
  24. lean — thin

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