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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: rock · lash · file · wax · wake · vault · track · wind

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. vault — a safe
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a line of people
  11. track — a path
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — music
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — for sculpting

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