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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — help
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. clip — a video
  16. march — music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — for sculpting

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