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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: patient · arm · wax · wake · can · mug · drill · last

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — finally

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