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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: file · wake · root · lie · wax · vault · prune · scale

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. file — a tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — to recline
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. root — of a word
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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