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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: vault · current · wake · wax · land · cold · bay · safe

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — a safe
  5. current — electric
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — of water
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — ground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a horse colour

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