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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: safe · toast · file · rush · court · racket · wax · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a document
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bore — to drill
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — in the ear

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