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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: patient · wax · rash · safe · squash · capital · bowl · track

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — the sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. track — a song
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a path

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