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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: ball · club · patient · lean · prune · arm · wax · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. ball — a dance

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