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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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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: sharp · wind · bay · wax · safe · mug · bat · bear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wind — moving air

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