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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 120 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: bay · spell · wax · lie · drill · perch · vault · degree

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — an amount
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — army training
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. perch — for a bird

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