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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · mark · wax · band · patient · spring · fork · cabinet

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spring — the season
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a ring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. band — a music group
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — to grow
  24. patient — a sick person

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