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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: wax · land · vault · dip · coach · arm · bank · cold

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. land — ground
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — a country
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cold — not warm
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cold — an illness

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