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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: vault · spring · calf · wax · season · bass · temple · pit

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spring — the season
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spring — of water
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — of the year
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — in sport

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