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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.

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: wax · mate · patient · ball · date · saw · key · lash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wax — to grow
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a partner
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. key — in music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — a friend
  24. date — on the calendar

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