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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: fine · saw · wake · racket · calf · wax · ground · patient

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — a position
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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