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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: lie · wax · patient · tear · wound · plane · net · pass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — for catching
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — in sport

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