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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. key — in music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stem — to come from
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — the fruit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wax — to grow
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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