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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: safe · content · last · wax · stock · trunk · firm · ball

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — shares
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — final
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. content — the amount

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