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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: march · lean · bank · vault · wax · trunk · cap · rush

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rush — hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lean — thin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bank — of a river

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