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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — to grow
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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