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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: safe · season · wax · ruler · mark · capital · patient · arm

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — a city
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — of the year
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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