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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — in a race
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — soda
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — to visit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wax — in the ear

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