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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wax — to grow
  4. present — there
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — the time now
  16. craft — boats
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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