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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: wax · present · sharp · stick · plane · vault · hide · coach

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — a tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — the time now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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