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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: press · patient · capital · wind · stick · wax · squash · firm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — to grow
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — moving air
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wax — for sculpting

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