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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: ball · safe · staff · court · band · present · wax · wind

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — to grow
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of a king
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a ring
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. present — a gift
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. safe — out of danger

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