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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · cabinet · wax · lie · content · club · wake · staff

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — a group
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — to grow
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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