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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — a big deal

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