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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: band · press · vault · rock · spell · wax · calf · bulb

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a music group
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — a young animal

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