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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: toast · ground · wound · cue · safe · wax · plane · chest

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. toast — bread
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chest — a box
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ground — a position
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ground — crushed

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