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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 · face · racket · present · branch · pit · file · wax

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — a division
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — part of the head
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. present — a gift
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — to confront
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. present — there
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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