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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · cabinet · march · club · current · wax · vault · rule

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. club — for golf
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. current — of water
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. club — for dancing
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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