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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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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: ruler · vault · lean · band · coach · wave · chest · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — thin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chest — a box
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. band — a music group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chest — of your body

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