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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: fan · wax · nail · safe · face · court · band · jam

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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