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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: nail · patient · calf · mug · land · wake · wax · lie

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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