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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: chair · rest · wax · stem · vault · pass

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rest — a break
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — a professorship

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