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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: saw · capital · snap · safe · wax · hide · dip · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chest — a box
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — a big letter

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