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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: present · bass · wax · bore · bank · sharp · vault · mine

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bore — to tire
  16. present — there
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — a gift
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — a safe
  23. present — the time now
  24. bank — of a river

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