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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · mine · wax · kid · rush · vault · spring · fine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. vault — a safe

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