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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 116 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: key · calf · bore · cap · patient · last · saw · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. last — finally
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wax — to grow
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — the most important part
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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