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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: dip · saw · object · mark · bear · wax · safe · snap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. object — to protest
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to click
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a grade

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