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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
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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: mouse · safe · wax · file · chair · content · fall · ball

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — out of danger

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