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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: present · tube · row · patient · bowl · stand · wax · lash

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. present — there
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — a dish

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