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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · toast · patient · fork · spell · jam · coach · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. spell — letters
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fork — in a road

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