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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: lean · toast · mouse · bass · bay · wax · chip · vault

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. toast — bread
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bass — low music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — for a computer

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