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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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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: vault · wax · prune · staff · chip · firm · deal · wake

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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