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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.

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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: wave · can · wake · vault · wax · perch · deal · bark

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. can — a tin

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