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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 116 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: pit · rock · mine · vault · stem · fall · dip · wax

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fall — the season
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — music

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