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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — a song
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a path
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — to confront
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pound — a weight
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — of a tree

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