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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 120 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: last · rock · vault · drill · cap · wave · wax · lash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — a stone
  8. drill — army training
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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