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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wax — to grow
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mine — for digging
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — soda
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pop — music

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