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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — there
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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