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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. swing — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — to grow
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — of a word
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a music group
  23. swing — in golf
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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