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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 120 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: wax · vault · bay · fine · rush · spring · saw · press

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. press — newspapers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — for sculpting

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