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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. present — there
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — government
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rest — what's left

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