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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: bank · bark · bulb · stock · wax · saw · patient · net

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — goods
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — for catching
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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