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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: shower · racket · stick · wax · patient · mark · bore · toast

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to tire
  16. toast — bread
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. shower — to wash
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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