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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: track · press · plane · patient · wax · craft · bear · current

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — electric
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a song
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — to grow
  22. press — a publisher
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — a path

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