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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a document
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — a match
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pop — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cell — in biology
  10. file — a tool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — soda
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wax — for sculpting

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