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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: rash · fall · wake · vault · spring · plane · wax · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — the season
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — a series
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — the season
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wax — in the ear

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