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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.

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 · press · bowl · leaves · track · temple · vault · calf

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wax — to grow
  7. vault — a safe
  8. press — to push
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a path
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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