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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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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: trunk · foot · bay · wax · wave · pit · patient · stand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — a hole
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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