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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 · saw · mug · rule · cap · patient · wax · scale

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mug — a face
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — in music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — to grow
  22. scale — size or range
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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