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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 116 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: patient · stand · cue · pit · leaves · squash · wax · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — to bear
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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