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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: wax · mark · sharp · hide · vault · drill · bat · rule

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rule — government
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. drill — army training
  14. sharp — clever
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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