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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: content · race · calf · wax · racket · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — humankind
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — a contest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — the arms race

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