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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: lie · fan · fork · vault · straw · staff · bear · wax

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — in a road

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