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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · toast · wax · net · safe · race · clip · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — in sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. race — the arms race
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — to cut
  8. net — for catching
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. race — humankind
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. toast — bread
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — a video
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

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