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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — in football
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — a safe
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. arm — part of the body

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