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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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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: safe · wax · tube · charge · stick · bay · lean · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. lean — to bend
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — a container
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — a list
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wax — in the ear

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