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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: wax · file · ground · safe · content · bass · toast · press

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — the earth
  9. content — happy
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bass — low music
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — a publisher
  15. ground — crushed
  16. toast — bread
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — to push
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. content — the amount

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