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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
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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: wax · row · bore · content · track · vault · hide · hand

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — the amount
  11. track — to keep track
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. row — a line
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hide — animal skin

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