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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. field — farmland

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