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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: bat · bass · wax · safe · nail · content · row · vault

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a line
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bat — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — to paddle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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