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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
468
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: wax · wake · game · pitcher · scale · nail · cabinet · safe

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. game — a match
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — size or range

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