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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 · lie · saw · spell · rest · pit · mate · patient

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spell — letters
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — to recline
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — magic
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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