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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 116 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: pass · wind · present · patient · wax · stick · scale · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — a tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — to grow
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — in music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — size or range
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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