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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 · patient · wound · ground · rush · wax · clip · fall

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fall — the season
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — a video
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ground — crushed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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