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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 116 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: pass · safe · can · sharp · bat · dip · pitcher · wax

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pass — to spend time

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