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

Word bank: can · plane · swing · straw · deal · wax · vault · fall

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — a safe
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — music
  24. plane — a tool

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