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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a friend
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — low music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — electric
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — the most important part
  16. craft — a skill
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. craft — boats
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fall — the season

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