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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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. wax — in the ear
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bass — low music
  24. key — in music

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