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

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mate — a partner
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. deal — to handle

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