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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — child
  16. stock — shares
  17. kid — to tease
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rest — a break
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stock — goods
  24. fan — to cool the air

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