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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 120 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: court · sharp · key · wax · hand · leaves · bear · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — for sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — the most important part
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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