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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — in football
  9. face — part of the head
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — to grow
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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