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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. race — a contest
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — humankind
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — crushed
  15. content — happy
  16. vault — a safe
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — a position
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wax — to grow

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