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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — the most important part

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