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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — a box
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — a country
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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