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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: dip · clip · vault · charge · pass · rush · wax · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — in control
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. charge — a price
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. clip — a video
  15. dip — to sink
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — a sauce

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