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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — to keep track
  15. craft — a skill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — low music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wax — to grow

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