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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — a leader
  14. board — a committee
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — a law
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — rain
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — the most important part

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