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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a ring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lash — an eyelash

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