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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: safe · lean · kid · file · bear · patient · pitch · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — to tease
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a document
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kid — child

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