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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — a safe
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — a hole

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