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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. land — a country
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — ground
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — soda
  22. land — to come down
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — to tease

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