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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: wax · drill · stand · lie · vault · mouse · spring · snap

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — army training
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to click
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spring — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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