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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — to drop
  5. scale — size or range
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ground — a position
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to confront
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — the season
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. scale — in music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. face — to point toward
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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