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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.

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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: bank · press · wax · arm · patient · plane · wind · track

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bank — of a river
  23. track — a path
  24. press — a publisher

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