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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: rush · wave · wax · file · ground · board · temple · vault

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — a safe
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. board — a committee
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wave — with your hand

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