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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: object · patient · wax · craft · swing · lean · roll · stick

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — a thing
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. object — an aim
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — a cake
  12. swing — in golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — to play on
  15. object — to protest
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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