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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 124 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — help
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — to grow
  7. vault — a safe
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — thin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — to tire

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