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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · safe · wax · degree · pop · game · mark · patient

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — temperature
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a match
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. degree — an amount
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — a grade

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