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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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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: fall · wax · tear · scale · vault · can · deal · wave

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. scale — size or range
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. scale — in music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — to grow
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — the season
  22. can — to be able to
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fall — to drop

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