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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — of law
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — for sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a match

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