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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: rush · drill · hide · safe · wax · toast · fall · content

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — to drop
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. drill — army training
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — the season
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — the amount
  22. drill — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  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