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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: nail · march · wax · suit · vault · swing · mine · calf

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. swing — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. suit — clothes
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — for digging
  18. swing — in golf
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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