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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — a safe
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — a container
  10. land — to come down
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. foot — part of the body
  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