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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.

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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 · cell · rock · bulb · patient · rule · pit · nail

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — a law
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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