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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: leaves · ruler · straw · wax · patient · deal · club · calf

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — a group

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