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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: wax · perch · safe · mug · rest · jam

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger

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