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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 116 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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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