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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. court — for sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — dry grass

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