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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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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 · safe · vault · bat · wax · press · lie · bank

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. press — to push
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wax — to grow

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