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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
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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: nail · vault · rash · game · fine · wax · cabinet · file

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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