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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: board · nail · wax · patient · net · land · vault · rash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — for catching
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — in sport
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — to come down
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — after costs

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