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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: last · bat · ball · wax · safe · rash · fan · fork

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rash — a series
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — to go on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. last — finally
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — hasty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — final

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