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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. kid — child
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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