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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: tear · saw · root · wax · bay · mine · leaves · safe

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a word
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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