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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. band — a music group
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a ring
  6. deal — to handle
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lie — to recline

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