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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: wax · bowl · pit · hide · plane · ruler · vault · band

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. vault — a safe
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — to grow
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. band — a music group
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hide — to keep secret

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