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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — high quality
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — goods
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — all right
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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