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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — electric
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — happy
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — of water
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — a list
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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