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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: kid · vault · bowl · suit · wax · track · wave · squash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — to fit
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a path
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a song
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — in cards
  24. squash — to crush

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