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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · key · tear · branch · wax · patient · hide · rock

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pop — soda
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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