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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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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: arm · vault · patient · wax · rush · can · leaves · game

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. game — a match
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — to be able to
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. game — wild animals
  24. can — a tin

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