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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: rush · mine · root · craft · wax · scale · safe · sharp

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — the cause
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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