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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — to push
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — certain
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wind — to turn a key

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