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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 120 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: rest · stem · degree · saw · rush · wax · patient · fan

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — to grow
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — to come from
  14. degree — an amount
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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