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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
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: toast · safe · wax · leaves · snap · band · spring · ground

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — of water

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