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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: cap · fork · cue · ruler · rash · fall · wax · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fall — the season
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cap — of ice

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