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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: patient · ground · chair · track · drill · wax · current · nail

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — a song
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — army training
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — electric
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a leader
  24. nail — on a finger

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