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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — a box
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. shower — to wash
  14. vault — a safe
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — rain

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