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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: cabinet · vault · ball · cap · shower · bowl · tube · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — a hat
  3. shower — rain
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — to wash
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a lid
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cap — of ice
  24. tube — a container

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