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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 · spell · wax · bay · row · bark · sharp · bulb

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — letters
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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