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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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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: safe · stick · face · wax · sharp · snap · ruler · chair

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — to point toward
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wax — to grow
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. snap — to click
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — clever
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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