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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hand — help

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