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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. shower — to wash
  3. roll — a list
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — rain
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — a grade
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mark — a trace

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