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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wax — to grow
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. race — humankind
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. land — to come down

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