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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 120 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: wax · content · coach · safe · cabinet · fork · net · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. content — the amount
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — to grow
  20. net — in sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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