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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — to grow
  4. roll — a list
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ball — a dance
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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