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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: saw · patient · coach · wax · nail · pit · scale · ball

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wax — to grow
  6. scale — in music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. scale — size or range
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a great time
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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