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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: shower · rule · bulb · dip · wax · firm · vault · pop

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pop — music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pop — soda
  10. rule — a law
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rule — government
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — decided
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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