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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: wax · dip · rock · vault · toast · wake · chest · pitch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rock — music
  23. toast — bread
  24. dip — a sauce

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