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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: nail · sharp · land · rash · wax · safe · cap · prune

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — a series
  24. sharp — exactly

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