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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: wax · straw · trunk · saw · tube · rule · safe · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rule — government
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. snap — to click
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. saw — the tool

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