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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fork — in a road
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — 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