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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.

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: game · lean · wax · rash · degree · suit · vault · fork

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rash — a series
  3. lean — to bend
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a match
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. game — wild animals
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lean — thin

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