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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: game · wax · fine · pass · vault · wake · nail · kick

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. game — a match
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. game — wild animals
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — in football
  23. fine — high quality
  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