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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: rest · bowl · saw · wax · safe · mark · kid · spring

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a trace

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