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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: wax · stick · file · saw · bulb · vault · date · fork

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a document
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a tool
  24. saw — the tool

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