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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · vault · chip · sharp · wax · cabinet · last · bay

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. last — finally
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — to grow
  8. last — final
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — to go on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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