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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've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bulb — of a plant

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