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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 116 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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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: pit · pitch · wave · lean · patient · wax · rule · swing

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rule — government
  21. swing — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pit — in a race

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