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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: arm · date · vault · kid · wax · board · roll · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. roll — a list
  5. vault — a safe
  6. board — a committee
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kid — child
  11. board — to get on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — happening now
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — of water
  24. date — on the calendar

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