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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.

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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: wake · rock · pop · wax · patient · safe · shower · saw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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