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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · arm · vault · degree · mark · rush · chair · staff

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — a stick
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. staff — employees

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