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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: leaves · bear · staff · cold · wax · club · pop · safe

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — a stick
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — a group
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — to go away

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