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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
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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: bat · net · wax · mug · safe · mine · row · sharp

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — a face
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. row — to paddle
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a line
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. sharp — clever
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — for digging

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