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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. capital — money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — a tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. capital — a city
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hand — in cards

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