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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.

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: cold · wax · fan · lash · safe · mark · jam · craft

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. mark — a grade
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. craft — a skill

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