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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — to grow
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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