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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: wax · pitch · vault · stick · mate · tear · pass · bark

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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