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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 120 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: wax · fall · bowl · court · nail · safe · row · cabinet

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — of law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — the season
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. court — of a king
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — for sport

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