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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 116 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: vault · wax · pitcher · key · spring · band · bay · row

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — a safe
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spring — a coil
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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