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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for golf
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — size or range
  19. band — a ring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. club — a group

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