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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.

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: hide · press · saw · patient · nail · kick · wax · degree

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. degree — an amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — temperature
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — to push
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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