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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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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: wave · chair · bay · vault · wax · cold

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wax — to grow
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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