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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — to grow
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — thin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — a break
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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