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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: track · fork · vault · bark · bore · spell · toast · wax

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wax — to grow
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. toast — bread
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — a short time
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — in a road

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