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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: tube · season · wax · patient · track · fine · pound · vault

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — the underground
  5. season — of the year
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — a song
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — a penalty

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