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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — a break
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bat — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rule — a law
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rule — to rule out

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