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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: spring · patient · deal · ruler · wax · object · bulb · chest

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — the season
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — a thing
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — a box

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