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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: court · wax · ruler · stick · prune · sharp · vault · lean

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — to grow
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — a safe

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