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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 120 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 · wax · cap · patient · pit · last · track · bank

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wax — to grow
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — a hat
  7. last — finally
  8. track — a song
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — of a river
  24. patient — a sick person

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