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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: safe · wax · ruler · chair · clip · pass · stock · date

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. clip — a video
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stock — shares
  12. clip — to cut
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stock — goods
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wax — to grow

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