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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 116 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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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: vault · wax · lean · press · hand · leaves · swing · bound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. hand — help
  3. press — newspapers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — thin
  6. swing — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — a safe
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — of a tree

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