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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — a safe
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cap — a hat

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