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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: wax · vault · drill · bear · bowl · rush · arm · chip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — hurry

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