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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — not warm
  9. vault — a safe
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — happening now
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — of water
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bulb — for light

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