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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: race · mark · patient · can · rest · prune · press · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mark — a trace
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a grade
  17. race — humankind
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. press — to push
  24. wax — in the ear

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