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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: rock · wax · leaves · club · net · content · rush · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — for catching
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. club — a group
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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