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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — a safe
  24. suit — in cards

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