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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.

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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: safe · mark · cabinet · wax · content · ball

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — happy
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — the amount
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts

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