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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. court — of a king
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — of water
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — a coil
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. land — a country
  16. court — for sport
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to succeed
  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