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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · last · deal · kid · current · lash · wax · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a lid
  11. last — final
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. last — finally
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — of water
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. current — happening now
  24. wax — to grow

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