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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chest — a box
  24. craft — boats

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