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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. vault — a safe
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — a break
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. march — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — a tin

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