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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mine — for digging
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — a gift
  14. roll — a list
  15. current — electric
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — of water
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rest — a break
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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