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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a ring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — finally
  20. bass — low music
  21. band — a music group
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — a young animal

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