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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — for digging
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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