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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 120 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: wax · rush · racket · safe · stock · chest · bound · row

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — of your body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stock — shares
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — tied together

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