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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: fine · drill · row · wax · vault · mark · prune · present

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — all right
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. present — there
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — to grow
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. drill — army training
  20. present — a gift
  21. row — a line
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  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