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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — decided
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pop — music

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