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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — to go on
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — clothes
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wax — to grow

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