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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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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 · pound · mine · wax · mug · ruler · band · kid

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kid — child
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a face
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a music group
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. band — a ring
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — a cup

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