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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — in music
  4. last — final
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — the most important part
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. last — to go on
  15. press — to push
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rash — a series
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — hasty
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — to be able to
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fall — to drop

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