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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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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: kick · wax · content · mark · vault · chair · bass · stand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. content — the amount

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