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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 120 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: season · patient · vault · rest · can · wax · pop · board

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — in sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — in the ear

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