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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · lean · bore · patient · plane · chip · stick · nail

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. plane — a tool
  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