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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.

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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: nail · vault · last · calf · wax · drill · bound · wake

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — certain
  17. last — final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — to go on

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