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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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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: cue · ball · wax · snap · safe · file · fork · chest

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cue — for pool

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