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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.

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: cabinet · leaves · bat · band · wax · calf · vault · prune

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — a safe
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a music group
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — to grow
  18. band — a ring
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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