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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 · fall · trunk · wax · rule · toast · stand · court

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. toast — bread
  14. fall — the season
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — government
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rule — to rule out

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