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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: pit · wax · race · chip · vault · tube · straw · wake

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chip — for betting
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — humankind
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wax — for sculpting

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