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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.

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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: field · bear · nail · patient · court · pass · saw · wax

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — of a king
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — to grow
  11. court — for sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. court — of law
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — for sport

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