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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: sharp · safe · rush · squash · wax · bay · ball · straw

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ball — a dance
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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