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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 116 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: pound · wax · present · bowl · cap · march · safe · vault

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — a gift
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cap — of ice
  16. present — there
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — the time now
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a lid

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