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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.

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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: saw · hand · safe · rest · trunk · key · game · wax

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a match
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — in music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — for sculpting

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