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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: wake · nail · ball · wax · pop · safe · content · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — music
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pop — to visit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — the amount
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a dance

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