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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: track · calf · safe · capital · patient · wake · wave · last

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. capital — money
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — a song
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a city
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. calf — of the leg

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