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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: present · bear · rush · patient · wave · lean · prune · track

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — there
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — thin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. present — the time now
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  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