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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: band · wax · dip · perch · rush · vault · track · coach

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — to sink
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a song
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. band — a music group

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