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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 120 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: safe · wax · snap · firm · plane · can · cold · cap

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cold — an illness
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cold — not warm
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — decided
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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