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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.

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: band · vault · arm · face · object · rash · wax · pitcher

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rash — hasty
  14. object — to protest
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. band — a ring
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. band — a music group
  24. rash — a series

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