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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: file · bulb · patient · toast · wax · cap · nail · bay

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cap — of ice
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cap — a lid
  16. toast — bread
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cap — a hat

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