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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — tied together
  6. roll — a list
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — certain
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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