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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — a safe
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — to play on
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fine — high quality
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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