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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · leaves · cabinet · date · squash · wax · nail · drill

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. drill — army training
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — the fruit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. drill — a practice

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