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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: vault · prune · current · fine · row · wax · press · last

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — newspapers
  8. current — of water
  9. row — a line
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. press — to push
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — electric
  15. vault — a safe
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — a publisher

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