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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: deal · wax · ground · patient · can · race · vault · coach

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — the earth
  8. can — a tin
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — humankind
  24. wax — in the ear

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