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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · wax · field · shower · fork · nail · vault · bowl

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — rain
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. shower — to wash

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