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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: fine · vault · wax · perch · file · straw · dip · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. file — a tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — a straw man
  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