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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.

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: sharp · wax · content · club · ball · nail · safe · bowl

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — happy
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. nail — for a hammer

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