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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: wax · drill · last · leaves · scale · dip · safe · firm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — final
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wax — to grow
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — a practice
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — the tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — to dunk

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