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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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — to confront
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mate — to breed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cue — a hint
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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