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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 · patient · lie · band · deal · land · wax · perch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. deal — to handle
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a ring
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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