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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: can · stock · vault · dip · spring · land · wax · rest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — to come down
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to sink
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spring — of water
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — shares
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rest — a break
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — the season
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. land — a country

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