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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: coach · cue · wake · wind · chair · wax · rock · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — a hint

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