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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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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 · vault · kid · bore · pound · row · scale · temple

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. row — a line
  6. kid — child
  7. scale — in music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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