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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 116 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: bay · wax · season · stem · staff · dip · last · safe

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — a stick
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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