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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
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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 · fall · present · patient · pitcher · plane · date · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — a tool
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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