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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — soda
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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