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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. face — part of the head
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a document
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — a safe
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — a trail
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. file — a line of people
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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