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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.

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: wound · shower · saw · can · pit · wax · tube · vault

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — a container

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