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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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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: cue · fork · press · trunk · temple · vault · face · wax

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. vault — a safe
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. press — newspapers
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — to point toward

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