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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: date · chest · vault · net · bass · wax · lash · roll

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chest — a box
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. vault — a safe
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bass — low music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a list
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — of your body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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