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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: tear · vault · wax · toast · net · rule · bulb · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — bread
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — in sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tear — to rip
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — of your body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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