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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.

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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: wax · wind · patient · can · shower · bay · bore · cabinet

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — to wash

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