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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: hand · patient · lean · calf · march · bank · ruler · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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