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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: mug · vault · leaves · craft · wind · row · staff · wax

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — to grow
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — a line
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mug — a face
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mug — a cup
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — to rob
  14. craft — boats
  15. row — to paddle
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. craft — a skill
  24. vault — a safe

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