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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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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: kick · racket · vault · lie · wax · tear · plane · bass

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. racket — a loud noise

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