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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 120 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: vault · racket · staff · wax · saw · lie · bat · chip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — a stick
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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