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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: foot · clip · lie · rule · bear · wax · season · patient

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — in sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — a 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