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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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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: jam · tear · pound · safe · toast · mate · wax · land

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — a country
  13. toast — bread
  14. land — to come down
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — ground
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. tear — from crying
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — to grow

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