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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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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: ruler · temple · mark · patient · stem · cold · wax · file

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — an illness
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cold — not warm
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — to grow
  24. file — a line of people

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