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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a face
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — the season
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — to rob
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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