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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: bay · prune · vault · fork · face · wax · track · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. track — a path
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — to grow
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to dunk

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