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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 120 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 · vault · last · fork · suit · cap · ball · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — clothes
  6. last — finally
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — to go on
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — final
  24. cap — a lid

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