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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: wave · pound · wax · safe · degree · vault

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. degree — temperature
  18. safe — out of danger

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