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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: rush · suit · vault · stock · wake · wind · sharp · wax

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — hurry
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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