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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 · jam · patient · mine · wax · rash · date · can

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — a series
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — in the ear

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