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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 116 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: ball · cue · vault · fork · wax · current · cell · row

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — of water
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. row — a line
  19. current — electric
  20. cue — a signal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a quarrel

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