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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cell — a phone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the animal

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