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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: kid · nail · content · vault · racket · wax · bass · branch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kid — child
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — low music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kid — to tease
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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