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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · jam · bat · vault · present · file · wax · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. present — a gift
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — after costs
  22. present — there
  23. file — a line of people
  24. jam — a tight spot

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