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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · saw · wax · patient · toast · scale · leaves · club

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — to grow
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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