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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: dip · spell · vault · staff · band · can · wax · wake

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a ring
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. staff — a stick
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — employees
  13. wake — a trail
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spell — magic
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — letters
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — a short time

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