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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
468
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: press · board · wax · rash · fork · dip · scale · vault

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — to push
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — in music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — size or range
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. press — newspapers
  24. board — to get on

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