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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: mug · straw · bear · wax · toast · safe · plane · cold

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. toast — bread
  22. wax — to grow
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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