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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 · temple · present · season · patient · wake · rule · file

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. file — a document
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — of the year
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rule — a law
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a tool
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — government
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — to grow
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — for sculpting

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