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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: cabinet · wax · capital · patient · bark · coach · tear · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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