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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: chest · spring · racket · chair · wax · saw · safe · content

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. spring — the season
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chest — a box
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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