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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
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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: bank · mark · craft · last · wound · safe · date · wax

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — to go on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. last — final
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mark — a trace
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — boats

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