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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — to confront
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to click
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mate — a partner
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rest — a break
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a friend

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