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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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