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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: vault · present · lie · court · stock · roll · wax · bark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of a king
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — there
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — the time now
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — to recline
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bark — to shout

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