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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · mate · saw · cap · mine · bear · wax · safe

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ball — a great time

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