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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: suit · wax · band · mate · patient · temple · pit · swing

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a partner
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — to breed

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