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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 116 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: bear · wax · rule · patient · current · season · land · pit

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a hole
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — of water
  9. season — in sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — a law
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. rule — government

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