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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: wax · fork · press · suit · present · vault · field · plane

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — a subject
  6. present — a gift
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. present — there
  9. press — a publisher
  10. plane — a tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — to push
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — to grow
  24. press — newspapers

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