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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: last · sharp · date · bat · bore · wax · can · patient

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bore — to drill
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — to go on
  17. bat — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. last — finally
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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