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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: vault · mouse · toast · roll · bore · tear · wax · nail

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tear — from crying
  8. toast — bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — to tire

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