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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: vault · board · net · root · stick · hand · wax · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — the cause
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hand — help
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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