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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: patient · press · rush · rule · wax · cell · safe · bank

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — to grow
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rule — government
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — a publisher

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