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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — thin
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chair — a leader
  16. march — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — the month

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