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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — a group
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. land — ground
  17. deal — to handle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — a country
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — a thrill
  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