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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: jam · patient · saw · staff · wax · scale · pass · wake

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wax — in the ear

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