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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
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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: tube · press · branch · rock · field · wax · mate · patient

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mate — to breed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — newspapers
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mate — a friend
  24. field — for sport

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