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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: present · rock · firm · vault · bore · lie · wax · jam

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. present — a gift
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. lie — to recline
  16. firm — steady
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. firm — decided
  21. present — the time now
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — there
  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