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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — clever
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. swing — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — for sculpting

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