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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kid — child
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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