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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 116 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: safe · content · march · bear · lie · board · wind · wax

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. content — happy
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. content — the amount
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — to get on
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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