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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. row — a line
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a quarrel

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