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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.

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 · wax · charge · hide · ball · shower · cap · wave

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a dance
  14. charge — in control
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. vault — a safe
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cap — a hat

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