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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · mouse · patient · bat · cabinet · club · prune

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bat — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for golf
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. club — a group
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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