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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: rush · row · cue · bass · safe · tube · wax · court

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — low music
  7. court — of a king
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a line
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — of law
  23. tube — a container
  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