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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: rash · field · spell · snap · wax · vault · current · bore

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — to drill
  4. current — electric
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spell — letters
  9. field — for sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to click
  12. field — farmland
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — a series
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. current — of water
  22. field — a subject
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bore — to tire

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