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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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468
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: hand · club · rock · row · wax · vault · dip · safe

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. 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