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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.

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 · vault · roll · jam · lash · key · bat · ball

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — the most important part
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — on a roll

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