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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · hide · ball · straw · wax · safe · tube · pound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — a container
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — animal skin

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