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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 120 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 · lean · ground · wax · pop · lie · cue · court

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. court — for sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — of law
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. court — of a king
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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