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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: bay · cap · kick · wave · wax · rash · can · safe

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. can — to be able to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — in football
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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