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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: bass · kick · wax · fall · patient · cap · club · nail

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. cap — a hat
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — in football
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — a group
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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