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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: wax · kick · stock · hide · patient · spring · drill · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stock — goods
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — with a leg

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