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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: club · shower · wax · race · spell · prune · board · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for golf
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. shower — to wash
  7. spell — magic
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. race — the arms race
  10. club — a group
  11. wax — to grow
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — humankind
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — letters
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. race — a contest
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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