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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: squash · band · roll · court · wax · mug · safe · spring

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mug — a cup
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. roll — a cake
  10. court — for sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — a face
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — of water
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. court — of a king
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — the sport

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