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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 · nail · safe · spring · arm · wax · stock · last

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — goods
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — happy
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stock — shares
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — the amount
  14. last — finally
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — to go on
  21. spring — of water
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — final

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