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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: rest · wax · vault · craft · tube · calf · court · current

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — of water
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of law
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. current — electric
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a skill

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