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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. swing — to play on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — of water
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — in golf

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