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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: coach · wax · bulb · tear · nail · patient

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — for light

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