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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · rest · patient · wax · ground · track · craft · prune

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — crushed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — to recline
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a song
  17. ground — the earth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — boats

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