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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — to paddle
  3. vault — a safe
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — to grow
  12. spring — of water
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cap — of ice
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. spring — a coil

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