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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — a price
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chest — of your body
  19. drill — army training
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to rest against
  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