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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. content — the amount
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  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.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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