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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: mark · bore · fan · wax · cell · vault · bark · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wax — to grow
  20. firm — decided
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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