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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: chest · coach · vault · lash · mouse · wax · calf · cap

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — a box
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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