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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 · jam · kid · kick · vault · rash · game · rest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — a break
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — to grow
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kid — child
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — wild animals

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