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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: patient · trunk · foot · wax · court · tube · wave · spell

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — of a king
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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