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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: firm · arm · cue · track · vault · wax · chest · mouse

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. firm — a company
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mouse — the animal

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