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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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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a document
  7. last — finally
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — to go on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — final
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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