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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — in control
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. vault — a safe
  20. capital — money
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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