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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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468
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: spring · rest · wax · hand · safe · track · plane · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — of water
  6. mug — a face
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — help
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — a coil
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — in cards
  23. track — a song
  24. plane — in geometry

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