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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: wax · court · patient · safe · trunk · drill · hand · firm

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — a company
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of a king
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — army training

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