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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: prune · firm · wax · patient · leaves · lie · wake · spring

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — a sick person

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