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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: date · roll · vault · march · wax · calf · arm · board

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. march — the month
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — a committee
  6. date — the fruit
  7. roll — a list
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — to grow
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. arm — a part of something
  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