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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
468
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: wax · rock · dip · leaves · foot · lean · patient · cold

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rock — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cold — an illness
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — to sink

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