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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: firm · roll · degree · ground · vault · last · wax · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. last — final
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. roll — a cake
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — a company
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a list
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wax — to grow
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — steady

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