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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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Word bank
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — a group
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — to turn a key

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