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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: bark · date · vault · leaves · staff · land · wax · pit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — to come down
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — a country
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. land — ground
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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