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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: track · drill · foot · wax · lash · vault · last · net

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. track — a song
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. last — finally
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. last — final
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — for catching
  19. drill — a practice
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. track — a path
  24. foot — part of the body

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