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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. present — the time now
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — a company
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cell — in biology
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — there
  21. race — a contest
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. race — the arms race

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