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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: wind · wax · roll · ruler · rest · patient

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — a break
  4. roll — a cake
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — a list

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