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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — goods

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