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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 120 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
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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: vault · fine · cap · wax · degree · saw · row · coach

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. row — a quarrel

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