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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — boats
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fan — to cool the air

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