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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: lean · racket · patient · wax · stick · pitcher · mouse · cold

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — thin
  24. patient — a sick person

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