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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. 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. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. wax — to grow
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. 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