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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 120 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: bore · patient · kick · lean · wax · bank · wind · present

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — there
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. present — the time now
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bank — for money

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