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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: object · wax · wake · spell · wound · fall · trunk · vault

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. vault — a safe
  3. object — a thing
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fall — the season
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wound — an injury

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