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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: fine · fan · vault · wax · key · perch · clip · pop

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — a video
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pop — soda
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — to visit
  24. vault — a safe

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