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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.

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 · safe · drill · ball · cell · bulb · chest · nail

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — army training
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. drill — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — a box
  24. bulb — for light

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