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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: ground · wax · bay · roll · pop · vault · chair · snap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — to visit
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ground — crushed
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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