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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.

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: wake · leaves · bat · patient · wax · rock · object · press

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — newspapers
  24. object — an aim

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