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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — in music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spring — the season
  11. rock — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spring — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spell — magic
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — a stone

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