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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 · deal · track · hide · wax · coach · sharp · fan

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a song
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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