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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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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: drill · club · stand · vault · wax · chest

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — army training
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — a box
  9. vault — a safe
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. club — for dancing
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. 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