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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: bass · degree · mouse · hand · charge · fork · safe · wax

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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