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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: wax · deal · pitch · patient · wave · stem · can · straw

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — completely
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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