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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: safe · pass · wax · content · temple · mouse · game · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wind — moving air
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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