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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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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: present · wax · vault · bay · perch · stock · rule · bowl

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. perch — the fish
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — there
  24. rule — to rule out

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