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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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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: content · safe · fan · nail · wax · dip · field · mark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. field — farmland
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. content — the amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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