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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. vault — a safe
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. sharp — with an edge

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