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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spell — magic
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — in the ear

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