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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: temple · bass · wax · vault · game · arm · deal · rock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rock — a stone
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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