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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 120 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: patient · stick · wax · bat · chair · nail · deal · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. scale — in music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chair — a leader

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