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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — for sculpting

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