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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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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: trunk · wax · saw · rush · coach · foot · mate · safe

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — a friend
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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