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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: rule · leaves · rest · board · wax · vault · jam · club

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rest — a break
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for dancing
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. leaves — of a tree

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