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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 120 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: season · stem · mine · perch · wave · safe · tube · wax

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. season — of the year
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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