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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: fan · pop · stand · prune · patient · present · wax · kid

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — a gift
  3. pop — to visit
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — to trim

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