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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: board · rock · tear · cold · vault · fork · safe · wax

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rock — music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — to get on
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — a committee
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cold — not warm
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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