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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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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: current · mark · suit · vault · row · hide · deal · wax

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. row — a line
  6. wax — to grow
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — to fit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — electric
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. suit — in cards

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