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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: face · bass · vault · wax · temple · spell · kick · board

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. board — to get on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — with a leg

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