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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: ground · bulb · wax · vault · arm · key · deal · trunk

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ground — crushed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ground — the earth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — a position
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a car

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