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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — in sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. vault — a safe
  22. face — to confront
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — to hurry

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