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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. degree — an amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. degree — from a university

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