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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · cell · key · club · bay · wax

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — for dancing

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