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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: safe · rest · wave · wax · sharp · bore · face · degree

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. face — to confront
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  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