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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — all right
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fine — a penalty

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