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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — a container
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — boats
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spring — the season
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. craft — a skill
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wax — to grow
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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