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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: suit · nail · jam · hand · track · wax · season · patient

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — in cards
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — a path
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — to fit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — clothes

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