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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: band · lie · vault · wax · file · coach · cap · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. file — a document
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. file — a tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a line of people
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. scale — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — a safe
  23. band — a music group
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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