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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — size or range
  6. row — a line
  7. present — the time now
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — a gift
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — there
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cap — a lid

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