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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: vault · mug · wax · straw · chair · bay · fall · race

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mug — a face
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — to rob
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. race — a contest
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — a horse colour

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