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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: net · wax · foot · sharp · vault · racket · land · dip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. land — to come down
  3. dip — to sink
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. wax — to grow
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — ground
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — a country
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — for catching
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. foot — part of the body

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