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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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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: stem · club · wax · game · cabinet · snap · rash · vault

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rash — hasty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wax — to grow
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — a match
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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