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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 120 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
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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 · fall · ground · vault · wake · leaves · bat · board

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ground — a position
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ground — crushed
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — the earth
  24. board — a committee

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