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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — for betting
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — a safe
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. last — finally
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. temple — a place of worship

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