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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · game · safe · racket · wax · wind · date · bound

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wax — to grow
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a match
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bound — certain
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — to protest
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wind — moving air

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