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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: wax · mate · mouse · chest · board · vault · trunk · pass

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. board — a committee
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  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