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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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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: shower · vault · craft · rock · kick · wax · racket · bass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — boats
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — rain
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — low music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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