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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: wax · press · land · cue · rule · pitcher · vault · firm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — ground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a signal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rule — government
  20. cue — for pool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — a law

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