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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. spring — of water
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bass — low music
  6. rock — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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