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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — a weight
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — in a tire

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