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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. roll — a cake
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spring — of water
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spring — a coil

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