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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: wax · patient · can · shower · mark · wake · lie · club

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. club — a group
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wake — a trail
  24. club — for golf

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