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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · net · spring · safe · leaves · present · wax · wake

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — a gift
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — for catching
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spring — of water

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