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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a song
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. track — a path
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — bread
  17. fall — the season
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of a king
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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