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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
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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 · temple · trunk · bank · season · ruler · patient · capital

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — money
  24. temple — side of the head

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