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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — for catching
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — to grow

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