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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: shower · fork · ground · object · vault · deal · nail · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — a position
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — to protest
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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