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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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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: cell · drill · lash · vault · present · wax · race · pass

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — there
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. race — humankind
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — to spend time

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