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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: wax · chip · vault · fall · land · bear · fork · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — ground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wax — to grow

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