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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · season · board · lean · patient · present · wax · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

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