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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · ball · leaves · net · wax · saw · chest · foot

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — for catching
  9. foot — a measure
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chest — a box
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — in the ear

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