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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wax — to grow
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cue — for pool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bowl — a football final

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