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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 120 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: vault · wax · coach · track · dip · bore · mark · clip

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — to grow
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mark — a grade
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a path
  18. mark — a trace
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — a sauce

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