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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: sharp · straw · firm · wax · rule · vault · mine · face

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — to grow
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — to point toward
  13. firm — a company
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rule — government
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — steady
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. sharp — with an edge

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