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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 116 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: rock · bulb · vault · board · charge · band · wax · face

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. band — a ring
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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