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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. toast — bread
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mate — to breed
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — in sport

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