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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: bulb · patient · stand · sharp · can · wax · fall · cabinet

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — exactly

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