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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — for digging
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — in a race
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. march — the month

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