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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: cue · patient · court · wax · chair · bay · nail · cap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. court — of a king
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — a lid
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cap — a hat
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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