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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fall — the season
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — in the ear

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