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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — a gift
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. present — there
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. present — the time now

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