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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 116 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: sharp · cell · game · wax · nail · patient

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — in biology
  11. game — a match
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. game — a kind of play

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