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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: sharp · spring · wax · kid · squash · scale · safe · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mate — a friend
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — child
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — a partner
  24. scale — size or range

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