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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — a box
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. court — of a king
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. court — for sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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