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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 120 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: rush · safe · mate · straw · leaves · clip · wax · plane

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. plane — a tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mate — a partner
  23. safe — out of danger
  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