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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: stand · wax · patient · tube · key · trunk · stick · spell

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — letters
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wax — in the ear

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