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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · safe · land · hide · leaves · pitch · wound · straw

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — an injury
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pitch — completely

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