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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: safe · swing · hand · shower · vault · bay · wax · bear

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. shower — rain
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hand — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wax — for sculpting

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