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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: wax · date · safe · bore · rock · tube · content · spell

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spell — magic
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — letters
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. content — happy
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — a short time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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