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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: club · trunk · patient · bore · wax · plane · band · cap

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. club — for golf
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a music group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — a sick person

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