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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: ball · wax · object · spell · vault · face · root · pit

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a dance
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — a short time
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — in the ear

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