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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: saw · swing · wax · file · pit · patient · key · nail

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — to play on

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