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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — a break
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. safe — a strongbox

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