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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 · wax · bat · calf · cap · cue · lash · march

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cap — a lid
  17. march — music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lash — to lash out

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