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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · object · wax · fork · vault · pitcher

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hand — in cards

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