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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: ruler · vault · cue · mug · wax · field · track · kick

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mug — a face
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a signal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kick — in football
  17. field — for sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — to rob
  20. track — a song
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cue — for pool
  24. field — a subject

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