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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: trunk · rock · vault · firm · wax · track · patient · wind

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rock — a stone
  4. firm — steady
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — a path
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — decided
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rock — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wind — to turn a key

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