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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: sharp · bore · wax · kid · file · vault · ruler · roll

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. file — a tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kid — child
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. sharp — clever
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — gave birth

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