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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: wax · suit · patient · bulb · land · drill · bay · net

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  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