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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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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: arm · wax · fine · bay · safe · fork · rule · pop

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — all right
  24. pop — music

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