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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: hide · date · mate · patient · chip · spring · wax · ruler

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ruler — for measuring

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