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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: temple · row · wax · vault · bat · spell · dip · stock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — to grow
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — goods
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — magic
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — to sink

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