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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: field · pitcher · racket · wax · mug · safe · fall · hand

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mug — a cup
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — for sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — a subject
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — the season
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — a loud noise

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