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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · wax · ball · vault · mine · pass · fan · field

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — farmland
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ball — a dance

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