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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a hint
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. current — of water
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — for pool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tear — from crying

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