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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: rest · can · last · wax · saw · roll · straw · safe

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — a break
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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