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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — to grow
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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