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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.

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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spell — letters
  24. wax — for sculpting

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