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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: lean · cell · rest · jam · safe · can · lie · wax

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — a break
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — thin
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lean — to rest against

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