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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 120 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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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: band · vault · foot · fall · stick · fork · wax · staff

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a ring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — a stick
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. band — a music group

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