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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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