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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: fork · track · vault · wake · lash · wax · foot · season

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — to grow
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. season — of the year

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