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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: straw · wax · last · safe · mug · lie · wound · ground

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — to recline
  7. last — to go on
  8. ground — a position
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a face
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mug — a cup
  22. last — final
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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