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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: jam · vault · calf · temple · swing · wake · wax · bay

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — a safe
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. swing — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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