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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · board · chair · wax · lean · bark · roll · ball

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. roll — a cake
  11. board — a committee
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. roll — a list
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — to get on
  24. chair — a leader

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