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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · wax · squash · dip · march · board · vault · bass

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. can — a tin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bass — the fish
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — a flat piece
  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