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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: safe · shower · foot · hand · pass · wave · wax · scale

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — a permit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. shower — rain
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — to grow

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