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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: vault · pass · last · tube · pop · wax · land · rash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. last — final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — soda
  10. land — to come down
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. land — a country
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. wax — to grow
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rash — a series
  24. pop — to visit

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