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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. staff — employees
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — a stick
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — exactly

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