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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
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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: kid · safe · staff · roll · land · wax · mouse · spell

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. land — ground
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. staff — a stick
  6. roll — a list
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. land — a country
  13. roll — a cake
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kid — to tease
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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