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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: clip · wax · safe · cold · cabinet · leaves · perch · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — an illness
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — the fish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cold — not warm
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. clip — a video
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pass — a permit

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