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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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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: tube · fall · bay · wax · cap · snap · patient · saw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to click
  24. wax — for sculpting

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