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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — to go on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — soda
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — a committee
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — finally

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