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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: vault · sharp · rock · net · wax · hide

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — in sport
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. net — after costs
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — animal skin

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