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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 120 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: wave · safe · wax · arm · patient · wind · press · row

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — to paddle
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. press — to push
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

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