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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: patient · plane · vault · wax · sharp · cell · bear · mark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — in biology
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — a tool

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