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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: bark · safe · pass · file · pop · wax · patient · cell

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cell — in biology
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. file — a document
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. safe — out of danger

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