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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: rash · suit · band · vault · fork · squash · root · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a ring
  18. vault — a safe
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — to eat with

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