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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: ground · safe · cabinet · jam · wax · stand · rule · cold

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — a law
  20. ground — crushed
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — government

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