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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: patient · saw · present · key · race · object · rock · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. race — the arms race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. race — humankind
  12. rock — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. saw — the tool

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