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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 · date · band · wax · rule · lean · ball · net

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — to grow
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rule — a law
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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