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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: safe · mouse · wax · ground · fine · straw · lean · land

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. 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. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — all right
  24. 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