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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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Word bank
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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: date · dip · vault · cap · key · content · object · wax

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. object — to protest
  5. key — in music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — the amount
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. date — the fruit
  21. content — happy
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — an aim

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