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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kick — in football
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. vault — a safe

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