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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ball — a dance

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