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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — the cause
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — in the ear

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