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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 · saw · coach · bass · cabinet · cell · wind · wax

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bass — low music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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