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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: vault · march · chair · staff · wax · race · fan · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. staff — a stick
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. race — the arms race
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — employees
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a leader
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. race — humankind
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — to grow

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