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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: patient · mark · wax · ruler · clip · chair · fan · row

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a grade
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. clip — a video
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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