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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. club — for golf
  7. season — of the year
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. club — a group
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — a permit

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