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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 116 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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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 · tube · wax · game · pound · perch · kick · charge

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. game — wild animals
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. game — a match
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tube — a container

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