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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · vault · wax · club · press · sharp · wave · wake

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — clever
  5. press — to push
  6. mug — a face
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — a safe
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a cup
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mug — to rob
  21. club — for golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — a group
  24. wax — for sculpting

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