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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · temple · roll · pop · wax · mouse · fall · jam

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — a cake
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pop — soda
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — a list
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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