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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: wax · staff · dip · game · safe · land · bore · sharp

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. game — a match
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. land — to come down
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — a country
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — wild animals

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