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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · wax · row · tube · swing · hand · vault · arm

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — to grow
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. row — a line
  16. tube — a container
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. swing — to play on

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