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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: wake · staff · snap · patient · bore · lean · pound · wax

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. snap — to click
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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