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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: ground · content · bear · safe · ruler · lie · scale · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — the amount
  20. ground — a position
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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