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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. toast — bread
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. last — finally
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rock — music
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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