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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: key · band · wind · row · wax · ground · vault · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mug — a cup
  9. band — a music group
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — a position
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. key — the most important part
  24. vault — a safe

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