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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — the season
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — to get on

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