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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: rock · mark · dip · bark · staff · vault · bowl · wax

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. staff — employees
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — a stone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — to grow

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