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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hand — in cards
  4. land — a country
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — to get on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. hand — help
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. land — ground
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wax — in the ear

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