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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · date · toast · mine · spell · tear · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spring — the season
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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