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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: craft · vault · fall · fork · wax · bear

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. 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. fork — in a road
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — boats
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fall — to drop
  18. 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