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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 116 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: lash · wave · wound · mate · safe · tube · wax · wind

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — out of danger

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