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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: lie · safe · spring · mate · wind · land · wax · cabinet

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — to recline

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