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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 116 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: safe · land · key · nail · march · wax · mate · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mark — a grade
  9. land — to come down
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — in music
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — a country
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mate — to breed

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